Wednesday 8 January 2014

Living in a House with a Famous Victorian Murder Mystery

I know I'm late with New Year wishes; but Happy New Year and I hope you had a lovely Christmas. I've started 2014 ready to get going on some new projects, but most of these are outside and everywhere is waterlogged, so I'm having to get involved in indoor tasks instead, like tidying up and clearing out old papers.  And it was when I started doing this the other day that I came across an old photo of the Priory, where I lived many years ago...








The Priory, in Balham, south London, is an old, gothic-style mansion that was divided into attractive apartments in the 1980s. I rented one here for a few months in my twenties, when I was in a sort of 'in-between' period of my life (I lived in north and west London, and here in south London for this brief time). Sadly Balham was a bit run down when I lived there and the Priory seemed a place that had been left over from an another era. It was built to look over its own grounds with green fields beyond. Entering into the Priory was also like being transported back to the Victorian age, because it had a grand entrance hall with a sweeping staircase and dim lighting.

It also had its very own Victorian ghost...

Charles Bravo; The Ghost at the Priory
This is because the Priory was the scene of a famous Victorian murder mystery that dominated the news and knocked other stories (including those about the Royal Family and the Prime Minister) off the front pages. The Victorians were gripped by it - according to the Coroner at the inquest 'half of London' lined the pavements outside to watch participants come and go. But the murder was never solved and it has taken different authors (such as Agatha Christie) and several TV programmes in the hundred years since to come up with various whodunnit theories.

The story is this; in 1876, Charles Bravo, a 30 year old gentleman who lived at the Priory, died in his bedroom of poisoning. The suspects included his new wife, Florence (they had only been married about four months), her ex-lover Dr Gully, Mrs Cox - the severe housekeeper who always wore black (and who Bravo was in the process of dismissing) and the ex-groom, Mr Griffiths (who had been recently sacked and was very bitter about it).  Charles Bravo died in bed after three days in agony without accusing any of them.

Florence
The police initially concluded suicide, but a few days later they decided it was murder. Some months after that, the inquest was held and all the intimate and unpleasant details of the private lives of Bravo and Florence were revealed to a shocked and fascinated public. Bravo was cruel, abusive and a bully and it was said that he had married Florence for her money; she was an heiress and the Priory was her house. Florence, meanwhile, was not a respectable woman (because she'd had this scandalous affair with Dr Gully).  

So; who was the murderer? Theories have included Florence, because marriage to Bravo had become intolerable, and Bravo himself, after accidentally dosing himself with laudanum for toothache, while he was actually trying to poison his wife (who had been ill after a miscarriage).  The evidence doesn't really point to Dr Gully, even though he would have known about poisons, or Mr Griffiths or Mrs Cox, although the latter could well have aided her mistress.


Mrs Cox is questioned at the inquest

So Charles Bravo would have been a troubled ghost. I used to wonder if part of my flat was his bedroom, but looking at an old layout of the Priory since I'm pretty sure now that it wasn't. I have to admit I never sensed a ghost in my time there at all. Have you ever sensed one? I never like to think of them, because usually they're people who've died in tragic or nasty circumstances. Certainly, the other residents have sensed the Priory's ghost over the years, and have reported noises, sightings and a strange atmosphere. 

Anyway, I knew that I'd be distracted from clearing out papers when I came across my old photos. Next I'm sorting through a box of mementos. Fatal. Will I ever get it all done?!


Further info: 'Death at the Priory' by James Ruddick & a docudrama 'A Most Mysterious Murder: The Case of Charles Bravo' by Julian Fellowes.
  





51 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Wendy! The thought of ghosts freaks me out a little bit! I've never had any sort of encounter and I hope it stays that way! It is interesting to hear a bit of history though. A couple of my friends live in Balham at the moment so maybe I'll share this with them and see if they know the Priory.

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    1. I must admit I've never had any encounters with ghosts either. I have entered places where I haven't liked the atmosphere, but that could be for any number of reasons. The Priory is down a long drive, but it's still quite visible, so it's very possible that your friends will have seen it.

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  2. Great post and very interesting, what a place to live.....

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    1. I like to imagine what the Priory must have been like when it was still all one house. It was interesting seeing the old floor plan and where the original rooms were. They must have looked amazing filled with old furniture, paintings etc.

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  3. Fascinating story!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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    1. Hello LIz and thanks for visiting. I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

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  4. Fascinating case, Watson! Wonder what the truth really was. No one will ever know now I suppose . We have a cottage in the old part of Whitby, tucked under the Abbey Plain, and several people have described things that they have heard seen or felt. The main one tends to be a cat which wakes guests by jumping on their feet when they are in bed at night. Several people have, over the years, got up to find this invisible cat, and searched the cottage for it, sure it exists.

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    1. There was a Detective Chief Inspector assigned to the case, but I suppose that because this was at the very beginning of modern crime detection and forensic science he didn't get very far with the evidence. It would be interesting to know if this crime could have solved today!
      Your cottage sounds wonderful. I've never been to Whitby and I'd love to go - there's so much history there. That is really fascinating that several people have reported the same experience with the cat.

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    2. Whitby is fantastic - very dark and gothic , like a Tim Burton film come to life ! Full of atmosphere and history and totally unique. Go up at Goth weekend for an amazing experience !

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    3. I will visit with Dracula in mind!! Yes, I've long wanted to go to Whitby, for a small town, there seems so much to see there.

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  5. Happy new year, my Mike would love that, he likes all things ghostly, I on the other hand do not.

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    2. (sorry - I've just corrected some bad spelling above!)
      I must admit I do love to read an old fashioned-type of ghost story, usually set in the past (I'm not so keen on horror). This is the only place I've lived in with a reported ghost and I just didn't sense anything at all.

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  6. It would be nice to know the truth but it makes a very good story for the New Year Wendy.
    The Priory is an interesting building which seems to have architectural overtones of Strawberry Hill Gothic Revival about it.
    Not really a believer in ghosts myself - I think that I am too pragmatic. We did have a very spooky loud humming in our house during the middle of the night once which I was determined to track down. It turned out to be a bumblebee stuck in our toilet cistern and the noise was resonating around the porcelain. It was very relieved to be released.

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    1. I'm not sure how old the Priory is (I think it may have been built around 1800), but I agree that it's very much in the Gothic Revival tradition - like Strawberry Hill. It does look a bit like a large folly.
      I love your story about the bee! I can imagine that it would sound very eerie in the middle of the night.

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  7. What a beautiful house to live in, I hope it has been well cared for since you left. I can often sense something in really old houses. One house gave me such a feeling of sadness and menace I had to leave. I'm quite glad I live in Canada now, with a much shorter human history within the buildings.

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    1. That is interesting that you've sensed a strong atmosphere in a house. I often instantly know if I like somewhere or not although I don't know why.
      Old houses have so many stories, don't they? I suppose it's always a risk for anyone researching the history of their house that they may find something that might change its atmosphere.

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  8. That was a great story Wendy. Old buildings make so many creaks and other noises in the middle of the night it is easy to believe something is prowling around. I haven't had that experience here, but thought I saw a shadowy figure at our last, very old, house. Then again, it might just have been a bit of dust in my eye.

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    1. I love old houses, but as I replied to Susan I would have to accept that all sorts of things could have happened in them! That's fascinating about your old house. I know what you mean about the creeks and noises and the wind in old houses - in the middle of the night they could be anything!

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  9. Such an interesting and exciting place to live. I do love ghost stories but I do not believe in them. Charles Bravo looks rather dull on the picture.

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    1. I was told about the ghost as soon as I moved there, although I didn't discover the full story until later. To be honest, I did forget about the ghost for most of the time I was living there.
      Charles Bravo wasn't said to be very nice at all, and of course all the details about his character came out at the inquest.

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  10. Happy New Year Wendy It was interesting to read the story of lives of previous residents from where you used to live. It looks a lovely old building.
    Sarah x

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    1. The Priory is a fascinating building. I wish I'd found out much more about when it was built, who else lived there etc when I was living there. I do know that, shortly after the inquest was over, Florence moved out for good.

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  11. Happy New Year to you, too. What a fascinating place to live! Did you know about the ghost before you moved in or learn about it afterwards? It looks a lovely building to harbour such a dreadful occurance. The Victorians did love their murder mysteries and melodramas no wonder it knocked royalty and high society off the front pages of the newspapers. Thanks for sharing your story:)

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    1. I was told about the ghost when I moved there but I didn't give it much thought at all.
      This story really seemed to fascinate the Victorian public; there was a kind of newspaper frenzy about it and papers such as 'The Illustrated London News' devoted whole front pages to artists' impressions of all those involved and the inquest. The interest and speculation carried on right into the 20th century, too and all this press exposure ruined the reputations of everyone involved. No one came out well.

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  12. I'm just the same, when I have a clear out I get absorbed in the things I find and forget to keep clearing. What an intriguing story, and a fascinating history of the Priory. Lucky you living there for a while, although it must have been a little spooky!

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    1. I'm glad to hear you're the same when it comes to clearing things out! I don't like doing it at all so I'm easily distracted!
      I wonder if I'd known the full details of the story I would have sensed more of an atmosphere. As it was, I didn't know much when I was living there so didn't really think about it.

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  13. I am doing a lot of organizing this week as well but I am not finding anything to reminisce about. This was a really interesting story to read - what a cool place to have lived! And no, no ghost encounters for me, thankfully!! Happy new year to you, Wendy!

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    1. It is the time of year to organise, isn't it? But I'd rather be doing something outside!
      Other residents in the Priory have been convinced that they've had a ghostly experience, so I was lucky I never sensed anything at all.

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  14. Happy New Year. tidying up is fatal isn't it, so easy to be side tracked! What a fantastic story about the place you used to live and what a wonderful building to have been part of your life for a short time.

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  15. I am too easily distracted when my heart isn't in something and I'm only indoors because I can't get outside at the moment!
    Since I moved out of the Priory, I've missed anything that's been on TV about it (like the Julian Fellowes programme) which is a shame because I'd like to see what it looks like now. I think, most of all though, I'd love to see any photographs of what it looked like in the 1800s.

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  16. Happy New Year Wendy.
    What a fascinating story! Isn't it strange how a hundred years (or so) can transform a ghastly event into something that is almost romantic?
    I have to say that I too haven't seen any ghosts... well, if I have, I didn't recognise them as such!

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    1. I completely agree that we often romanticise crime from the distant past. I think the classic examples are smugglers and highwaymen - really there was nothing romantic about them or their crimes, but that is how we often regard them. We also read many novels and see films and dramas of 19th century crime which only adds to our perception.
      I'm glad you've never encountered any ghosts - I hope I never do!

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  17. Happy New Year Wendy :) What a fascinating post - I really enjoyed reading about past events at the Priory and the unsolved murder! I wouldn't much like a ghost in a house that I lived in but I do enjoy reading about ghostly sightings in old places like National Trust properties. I often think when I wander round Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens that I wouldn't be surprised to see a lady in a crinoline as I turned the corner!

    I'm back to a massive declutter here now that Christmas has been and gone and I too find it far too easy to get distracted. I spend more time on distractions than actually deciding on what to keep :)

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    1. When I think about ghosts I usually think about castles and rambling old stately homes first of all. I suppose it is because they look so unchanged by time. I do have quite an active imagination so I always try to imagine the previous inhabitants of them.
      I'm definitely running out of steam with this tidy up. I think (at last) some sun is in the forecast, so I shall probably give up altogether!

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  18. Ooooooohhh....what a WONDERFUL story and what a fabulous place to have lived in. I loved reading this and am now trying to work out who dunnit!!! Shame you didn't get to see the spook though.
    Many moons ago I was working in a nursing home. It was about 10ish and I walked out of the lounge into the hall where I saw a little girl, with long dark shiny hair kneeling down rifling through the record collection. There was a children's home next door so I presumed the child had snuck out so I spoke to her saying, "What are you doing here hun, everyone will be worried sick about you." As I spoke she completely disappeared!!!! And the wierd thing was, the records all fell back into place. There was no info re a child ever dying in the nursing home and she was totally real looking, nothing transparant about her....xxx

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    1. Wow....what an amazing experience you had! It's stories like this that make me keep an open mind about ghosts, spirits etc. I can't dismiss them when other people have experiences like this.
      There have been so many different theories about the murder of Charles Bravo e.g. Agatha Christie (in her letter to The Times) claimed it had to be Dr Gully. The most convincing arguments, though, seem to be from those who believe Florence was guilty. She seems to have the strongest motive.

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  19. Happy New Year.
    What an interesting story-great to have lived somewhere like that I think. No, I'm not a believer but I can get a little spooked sometimes. I know it's just my imagination.
    We used to drive past a garage on the way out of town where we lived before, which gave me the creeps-my hair would stand on end on my arms and I felt really strange about it, as it's not the sort of thing that happens to me. I could not stop there and get petrol under any circumstances.
    I suppose I should look up the land records and see what was there before.

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    1. How fascinating! I wonder what was there before? I hope you do look up the history of the place as you had such a strong reaction to it. That's another interesting thing about atmosphere - a modern building can be standing on somewhere with a long history. I often think about crossroads, parish boundaries etc - places that look nothing now but that had huge significance in the past.

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  20. So creepy! I used to live in an old Victorian that was next to an even older house that was absolutely haunted. I saw the ghost watching me once when I was over taking care of the house after the owners sold it. I didn't feel threatened but it was really weird. The ghost was the previous owner who, according to local legend, was haunting the house because the neighbors had stolen from him and his wife after they died. Very sad. The house was widely known to be haunted and the poor man just wouldn't pass over.

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    1. My goodness - how incredible! Even if you're told a house is haunted I can't imagine anything would prepare you for an experience like that. The house must have a very strong atmosphere and I guess many people would sense sadness and anger there from this recent, sad story. I wonder how people feel living there now?

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  21. Happy New Year Wendy.....I can't say I've ever lived anywhere as interesting as that!

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    1. Well I was only there a few months, Em - and of course because it was divided up into apartments I never got to explore the whole house!

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  22. Fascinating stuff - I seem to know the story - maybe there was a tv drama that I watched.

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    1. Yes, that's very likely, Elaine. I don't know how many times the story has been told on TV, but I know that it has been told. Unfortunately, I've never managed to catch a programme about it.

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  23. Oo, what a great story! And what an amazing place to live, though I'm pleased to hear you weren't haunted or taunted by the ghost! Here's to 2014 - I hope it's a good one for you.

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    1. I wonder if anyone living in my flat ever sensed anything over the years - maybe all the ghostly experiences have taken place in other areas of the house. I didn't even hear a suspicious noise! Hope 2014 is a good year for you, too, Helen.

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  24. Hi Wendy, how fascinating that you have lived in house with such an interesting history! It is certainly very beautiful from the outside. By the way, I am sorting through and filing old papers, too. I surely would prefer to see a ghost instead, at least that would be more exciting ;-)! Happy belated New Year to you, too!
    Christina

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    1. I would be interested to see what changes have been made to the outside of the house over the years. It must have looked very impressive in its early life when it had large gardens and grounds. When I was there, it did have a garden for all the residents to use, but I don't think anyone used it much.
      Sorting through and filing papers isn't very exciting, is it?!

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  25. I worked in a building years ago which was built after the war on a bombsite - there had been a factory there that was bombed during WWII, and I had an interesting experience there one evening, hearing shouting and screaming. The first flat MrEH and I lived together in had a cat ghost too - we used to feel it walking over our feet in the night. Oddly enough neither of us were even slightly phased by this. It went when we got a cat of our own. If you'd asked me before those two things, I would have sniffed and declared that there were no such things as ghosts....

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    1. Your experiences are fascinating, Robyn. It seems as if your own cat banished the sense of a ghostly one. And the bombed building must have had a very distressing atmosphere. I wonder if I will ever sense a ghost. I used to work in an office that was once part of an old Victorian hospital; I even had a tour around it before it was converted into offices and it was still possible to see many of the untouched features of the hospital such the old operating tables and grim wards. I would have thought I would sense something in my new office - but I never did.

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